NKM Seminar at Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety

16 August 2007 ? Visiting the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety
(KINS) in Daejeon, Republic of Korea, today, INIS & NKM Section Head Mr. Robert
Workman was welcomed by Mr. Yun Hyung Chung, Head of Knowledge and Information Management. Mr. Workman gave a talk on the IAEA's
nuclear knowledge management (NKM) activities for staff of the Institute, which was followed by an interesting discussion on many
aspects of managing nuclear knowledge. Also, KINS's Librarian Yeon-Hwa Youn demonstrated Maestro, the library system of the Korea
Institute of Nuclear Safety.

In his presentation, Mr. Workman focussed on the three major aspects of nuclear knowledge management at the IAEA,
i.e. developing policy, methodology and guidance on NKM; facilitating education and training; and maintaining and preserving
knowledge in nuclear science and technology. "The IAEA's guidance documents on nuclear knowledge management are produced jointly with
international experts" Mr. Workman pointed out. "They are important products for IAEA Member States", he added. For example, a
technical document on Knowledge Management for Nuclear Industry Operating Organizations
(IAEA TECDOC-1510) offers criteria for assessing the levels of
maturity in knowledge management in a given nuclear power plant. These self-assessments are carried out during so-called knowledge
management 'assist visits', organized by the IAEA; Mr. Workman informed the audience on a recent visit to the Bruce Power nuclear
generating station in Canada, in which he participated.

Photo: KINS website

As examples of the IAEA's involvement in nuclear education and training, Mr. Workman mentioned the Asian Network
for Education in Nuclear Technology (ANENT) and an annual School of Nuclear Knowledge
Management at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste,
Italy, which will take place for the fourth time this September. "I am sure you are aware that this year's Summer Institute of the
World Nuclear University is taking place only a few miles away from Daejeon", Mr.
Workman told the audience, giving an overview of this activity and reporting on a workshop he held with WNU fellows the previous day.

"Preservation of knowledge in fast reactors is a major initiative within the third element of the NKM programme",
Mr. Workman added. The IAEA facilitates the process in conjunction with six collaborating countries.

The presentation also included findings and recommendations of the recent
International Conference on Knowledge Management in Nuclear Facilities (IAEA, June 2007) and
nuclear information resources, notably INIS, PRIS (the Power Reactor Information
System) and Nucleus.

Mr. Workman also offered information on the International Nuclear Library Network
(INLN), spearheaded by the IAEA; the possibility of three Korean nuclear libraries, i.e. KINS,
the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), and the Korea Electric Power
Research Institute (KEPRI), joining this network were also discussed.

The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) was established
in 1990 as an independent regulatory expert organization to support the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the regulatory
authority of the Korean Government, in licensing and regulation of nuclear facilities and related activities.